Method for manufacturing waterproof shoe

ABSTRACT

A method is used for manufacturing a waterproof shoe having an enclosure to be secured or stitched to a shell, and a midsole and an outsole. The shell includes a widely opened bottom opening formed by the bottom peripheral portion of the shell for allowing the enclosure to be easily and quickly stitched to the shell. One or more flexible flaps are secured to the bottom peripheral portion of the shell. A shoe last and one or more insulating liners may also be easily engaged into the shell. The flaps may be solidly folded to engage with the shoe last or the midsole.

[0001] The present invention is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patentapplication No. 09/564,458, filed May 3, 2000, now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention relates to a method, and more particularlyto a method for manufacturing the insulated or waterproof shoe.

[0004] 2. Description of the Prior Art

[0005] U.S. Pat. No. 5,737,857 to Aumann discloses a typical shoe havinga shoe upper secured on top of an outsole, and an insole and/or amidsole secured in the shoe upper and/or secured to the outsole. Thetypical shoe may not be manufactured or formed into a waterproofstructure.

[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 5,802,740 to Merk, Sr., discloses a waterproof shoehaving an insulating liner and a waterproofing liner engaged in theshoe, and one or more side panels stitched to the shoe upper. However,the stitches of the side panels to the shoe upper may not be suitablysealed or insulated.

[0007]FIG. 1 discloses a typical waterproof shoe including an enclosure10 having a bottom peripheral portion to be secured and stitched to ashoe upper or a shell 11, a waterproof liner 12 attached to theenclosure 11 for engaging into the shoe, and an outsole 13 to be moldedonto the bottom of the shell 11. The shell 11 includes an enclosedbottom board 14 such that the stitch operation of the enclosure 10 tothe shell 11 may not be conducted from the bottom of the shoe and shouldbe operated from the upper portion of the enclosure 10. It will bedifficult to stitch the bottom peripheral portion of the enclosure 10 tothe shell 11 via the upper portion of the enclosure 10 that has arelatively smaller opening size.

[0008]FIGS. 2 and 3 disclose the other typical waterproof shoe alsoincluding an enclosure 10 having a bottom peripheral portion to besecured and stitched to a shoe upper or a shell 11, a waterproof liner12 attached to the enclosure 11 for engaging into the shoe, and anoutsole 13 to be molded onto the bottom of the shell 11. The shell 11includes a peripheral flange 16 extended inward from the outerperipheral portion thereof for defining an access opening 17 therein andfor facilitating the stitching operation of the bottom peripheralportion of the enclosure 10 to the shell 11. A water proof layer mayfurther be applied to the inner portion of the stitches for making anexcellent water proof structure to the shoe. A board 14 will then beattached to the bottom of the shell 11 for forming the bottom of theshell 11. U.S. Pat. No. 6,065,227 to Chen also discloses such a typicalwaterproof shoe. However, as shown in FIG. 3, the peripheral flange 16and the shell 11 are made of plastic material having a predeterminedhardness that may not be easily bent or deformed. Accordingly, when thebottom peripheral portion of the shell 11 is squeezed inward of theshell before the outsole 13 is formed or attached onto the shell 11, theperipheral flange 16 may be deformed at 18 such that an uneven couplingsurface may be formed between the shell 11 and the outsole 13 and suchthat the outsole 13 may not be solidly secured to the shell 11.

[0009] The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate theafore-described disadvantages of the conventional methods formanufacturing the insulated or waterproof shoe.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The primary objective of the present invention is to provide amethod for easily and quickly manufacturing the insulated or waterproofshoe.

[0011] In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provideda method for manufacturing a waterproof shoe including a shell having abottom peripheral portion, an enclosure having a bottom peripheralportion, a midsole and an outsole, the method comprising forming anopening in a bottom portion of the shell, the opening being defined bythe bottom peripheral portion of the shell, securing at least one flapto the bottom peripheral portion of the shell, securing the bottomperipheral portion of the enclosure to the shell with stitches,inserting a shoe last into the shell, engaging a midsole onto the shoelast, forcing the at least one flap inward of the shell, securing the atleast one flap to the midsole, and forming the outsole onto the shell.The opening of the shell is widely opened for allowing the bottomperipheral portion of the enclosure to be easily and quickly stitchedand secured to the shell with the stitches and for allowing the shoelast to be easily and quickly engaged into the shell.

[0012] One or more waterproof layers may further be applied onto thestitches to insulate the stitches. One or more insulating liners mayfurther be applied onto an inner portion of the shell and the enclosurevia the opening of the shell.

[0013] Further objectives and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent from a careful reading of a detailed descriptionprovided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to accompanyingdrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014]FIGS. 1 and 2 are exploded views showing two typical waterproofshoes;

[0015]FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the shoe upper or the shellof the typical waterproof shoes as shown in FIG. 2;

[0016]FIG. 4 is an exploded view of a waterproof to be made with amethod in accordance with the present invention;

[0017]FIGS. 5 and 6 are perspective views illustrating the manufacturingprocesses of the method of the present invention;

[0018]FIG. 7 is a partial exploded view illustrating the manufacturingprocesses of the method of the present invention;

[0019]FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating the other manufacturingprocesses of the method of the present invention;

[0020]FIG. 9 is a bottom view of the prototype of the shoe as shown inFIG. 8;

[0021]FIG. 10 is a partial exploded view illustrating the othermanufacturing processes of the method of the present invention; and

[0022]FIG. 11 is a perspective view illustrating the other manufacturingprocesses of the method of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0023] Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 4-6, a methodin accordance with the present invention is provided for manufacturing awaterproof shoe which also comprises a shoe enclosure 10, a waterproofliner 12 attached to the enclosure 10, a shoe upper or a shell 30, andan outsole 13 to be attached to the bottom of the shell 30. The shell 30is made of plastic materials or the like that have a predeterminedhardness and includes an opening 31 widely opened and formed in thebottom thereof. One or more flexible flaps 32 are made of such as theleather materials, woven or non-woven materials, etc., and are securedto the bottom peripheral portion 39 of the shell 30 with such as thestitches 40 (FIGS. 5, 6). The flaps 32 may thus be easily folded andforced inward of the opening 31 of the shell 30.

[0024] As best shown in FIG. 5, because the shell 30 includes the widelyopened opening 31 formed in the bottom thereof, the bottom peripheralportion of the enclosure 10 may thus be easily and quickly stitched tothe shell 30 via the opening 31 of the shell 30. One or more waterproofor insulating layers 34 may also be easily and quickly applied onto theinner portions of the shell 30 and the enclosure 10 via the opening 31of the shell 30 in order to make a further waterproof or insulatingstructure for the waterproof shoe. One insulating liner 36 (FIG. 6), ortwo insulating liners 36 (FIG. 10), or more insulating liners mayfurther be easily and quickly applied or attached or secured onto theinner portion of the waterproof shoe via the opening 31 of the shell 30.A protective cap or the like may also be easily engaged into the innerportion of the waterproof shoe or between the shell 30 and theinsulating liners 36 via the opening 31 of the shell 30.

[0025] Referring next to FIGS. 7 and 8, a shoe last 37 may be easilyengaged into the shell 30 via the opening 31 of the shell 30. A shoeboard or a midsole 38 may then be engaged onto the shoe last 38 (FIG.8). As shown in FIG. 9, the flaps 32 and/or the bottom peripheralportions of the insulating liners 36 may then be easily folded andforced inward of the shell 30 and secured to the midsole 38 and the shoelast 37 with fasteners or nails by a forcing machine or the like. Asshown in FIGS. 10, 11, the outsole 13 may then be attached or formedonto the bottom of the shell 30 with a molding machine or the like,before or after the shoe last 37 is removed from the shoe.

[0026] It is to be noted that the formation or the provision of thewidely opened opening 31 in the bottom of the shell 30 allows theenclosure 10 to be easily and quickly stitched to the shell 30, andallows the waterproof layers 34 to be easily applied onto the innerportion of the shell 30 and the enclosure 10, and allows the insulatingliners 36 to be easily engaged into the inner portion of the shell 30and the enclosure 10, and selectively allows the protective cap to beengaged into the shoe, and allows the shoe last 37 to be easily engagedinto the shoe. The flaps 32 may be solidly forced inward of the shell 30to snugly engage with the midsole 38 and the shoe last 37 with theforcing machine without deforming the shell 30; i.e., the shell 30 willnot be deformed when the flaps 32 are forced inward of the shell 30. Thewaterproof shoe may thus be easily and quickly manufactured.

[0027] Accordingly, the method in accordance with the present inventionmay be used for easily and quickly manufacturing the insulated orwaterproof shoe.

[0028] Although this invention has been described with a certain degreeof particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure hasbeen made by way of example only and that numerous changes in thedetailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention as hereinafter claimed.

I claim:
 1. A method for manufacturing a waterproof shoe including ashell having a bottom peripheral portion, an enclosure having a bottomperipheral portion, a midsole and an outsole, said method comprising:forming an opening in a bottom portion of said shell, said opening beingdefined by said bottom peripheral portion of said shell, securing atleast one flap to said bottom peripheral portion of said shell, securingsaid bottom peripheral portion of said enclosure to said shell withstitches, inserting a shoe last into said shell, engaging a midsole ontosaid shoe last, forcing said at least one flap inward of said shell,securing said at least one flap to said midsole, and forming saidoutsole onto said shell.
 2. The method according to claim 1 furthercomprising applying at least one waterproof layer onto said stitches toinsulate said stitches.
 3. The method according to claim 1 furthercomprising applying at least one liner onto an inner portion of saidshell and said enclosure via said opening of said shell.